Travelling alone is one of my favourite ways to explore the world. Today, I’m sharing with you the best solo travel destinations to visit in Europe in 2022, whether this is your first time travelling solo or you’re a seasoned pro looking to expand your European horizons.
Note: I’m also listing two cities in the United Kingdom as ‘solo travel destinations in Europe’, even though I know they officially left the European Union in 2020. Sue me.
Europe is home to many of the world’s most historically and culturally relevant cities. For people like you and me, that means it’s got plenty of solo travel destinations to discover. In other words: you could spend days — or even weeks — in every major European city without getting bored.
These are my favourite solo destinations in Europe for a quick city getaway.
Ahh, the city that started it all. I went to Dublin on my very first solo trip, and that’s an experience I’ll always cherish. The Irish capital is a city with plenty of things to keep a solo traveller entertained for a few days. If you’re worried about solo travel safety: Ireland is consistently listed among the safest countries in the world to travel by yourself.
Read more: Budget Solo Travel in Dublin: Travel Tips and Tricks
Everything Amsterdam does, Rotterdam does better. At least for solo travellers. The city has the same culture, the same people and the same food, but better and cheaper. Especially if you’re not a fan of crowded cities with many attractions aimed at tourists, you’re better off in Rotterdam.
Read more: Where To Eat In Rotterdam: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
Then again, if you do happen to be a fan of crowded cities, London is the place to be if you’re travelling solo. Other travellers tend to agree: it’s the third-most visited city in the world, and for good reason. You could easily spend a week (or more) in each of the city’s 12 boroughs. London is home to world-class restaurants and museums, not to forget its historical districts and splashes of innovation, such as the Shard, Tate Modern, and the Sky Garden.
Are you looking for a bit of everything when you travel? Luckily for you, Europe is rich in cities that offer something for everyone. Culture, nature, adventure and gastronomy go hand in hand in these solo travel destinations.
The Maltese capital is not only a sight to behold — it’s also the perfect base for solo travellers to explore the three islands of Malta. Some highlights around the country are Rabat, Mdina, the Azure Window remains on Gozo, the Blue Lagoon in Camino, the Three Cities, and Marsaxlokk. English is one of the official languages in the country, so if you can read this, you’ll have no trouble getting around.
Read more: Solo Travel in Malta: A Conclusive Guide
With its impressive cultural neighbourhoods, modern art and electronic music scene, Berlin is the city that truly made me love travelling solo. Whether you just want to visit the essentials — Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall, for starters — or you’re looking to go off the beaten path: Berlin has something for everybody.
Read more:
A stunning historic city centre, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, and the Scott Monument walk into a bar… No idea what the punchline to that joke is, but the city is there to please every solo traveller. The cultural sights (you know, the ones from the joke in the first line), a breathtaking hike (Arthur’s Seat), plenty of shopping opportunities and the Royal Botanical Gardens make Edinburgh the amazing city it is today.
Read more: Edinburgh Solo Travel Guide — Things To Do In Edinburgh
Are you a seasoned solo traveller looking for a new thrill? Or just a first-timer who wants to do something just a little bit different?
Take a look at some of my favourite offbeat solo travel destinations in Europe.
The second-largest metropolitan region in Belgium and host of the 1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp is a great, albeit slightly unusual, solo travel destination in Europe. (And, coincidentally, it’s also the city I call home at the time of writing this. Come say hi!)
Read more: Best Restaurants in Antwerp: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
If you’re a solo traveller with an interest in international politics, there’s really no competition for Strasbourg. The city is home to several European institutions and non-European international institutions. Its historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, although the city has been at the centre of violent disputes throughout history, it now serves as a cultural bridge between French and German culture.
Read more: 10 best day trips from Strasbourg for slow travellers
Bologna is known as the Fat, Red, and the Learn’d City — respectively due to its rich cuisine, the red Spanish tiled rooftops, and being home to the oldest university in the western world. Oh, and one of the best pasta sauces of all time — Bolognese sauce — is literally named after the city. But if that won’t convince you to travel to Bologna, I’m not sure what will.
Whether you’re looking for a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park or you simply want to absorb the atmosphere of the Central European lifestyle, Zagreb is where you want to be.
Read more: Zagreb (Croatia): Is It Worth a Visit or Not?
Just because you’re travelling alone, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nature. Whether it’s snowboarding down a mountain slope, going for a hike in the mystical forest or catching waves with your surfboard that gets your adrenaline going, there are plenty of solo travel destinations in Europe for nature lovers.
The enchanting town of Braga is a budget-friendly alternative to bigger Portuguese cities, like Porto and Lisbon. The town is located in northern Portugal, between rugged mountains, mystical forests, grand valleys, and soothing plains. Additionally, Braga enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with mild winters.
Many solo travellers avoid travelling to Switzerland because of its high cost of living. But what if I told you that you can also do it on a budget? Sivan from The Blonde Abroad gives plenty of tips on travelling to Interlaken on a budget in this blog post.
If you don’t know why Iceland is the perfect solo travel destination for nature lovers by now, I don’t know what to tell you. For example, you can bathe in the Blue Lagoon, chase the Northern Lights, explore an ice cave or discover the black sand beach with the unpronounceable name — Reynisfjara.
Looking for a big-hitter city with a lavish history where you’ll never run out of things to do? Consider the following solo travel destinations for culture lovers.
When you know that Dubrovnik was a filming location for Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Robin Hood, you’ll realise why it’s worth your precious travel time. The city on the Adriatic Sea is mostly known for its characteristic Old Town and ancient city walls, and many places of interest in Dubrovnik rely on its rich cultural heritage to attract travellers.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they say. The Italian capital might be one of the most romantic and charismatic cities on earth, but that doesn’t mean solo travellers will get bored in Rome. The city has been a major human settlement for almost three millennia, leading to a cultural history Romans are rightfully proud of.
Athens is the cradle of Western Civilisation and the birthplace of democracy. That’s why it’s the place to be for solo travellers looking to get all cultured up. For example: you can walk in Plato and Aristotle’s footsteps on the Acropolis, learn about the city’s culture in the Benaki Museum, and stroll through the labyrinth of streets in the oldest neighbourhood of Athens — Plaka.
As you can see, it’s not difficult to find the best places for solo travellers in Europe. It’s a continent so rich in cultural, natural and gastronomic history that you can spend years here and still not see everything there is to see.
If you’re a seasoned solo traveller, what’s your favourite solo destination in Europe and why? Be sure to leave a comment down below and inspire your fellow solo travellers.
-S
PIN IT!
Whether you’re looking for destinations around Europe to visit during your European road trip, or you’re just looking for a quick city trip, chances are you might have considered Zagreb. Here’s why you should, or shouldn’t, go there.
Disclaimer: most of the images I’m sharing with you in this post are taken from my travel video, which is why they’re low quality. I’m sorry, I didn’t really take a lot of pictures, but I focused mostly on the video.
As you may or may not know, my family and I spent four days in Croatia last week. The main objective of our trip was to visit Plitvice, but we stayed in Zagreb for accommodation and to explore the city. Yes, I realize that strolling around in a foreign city for three days doesn’t really make me qualified to tell you why you should and shouldn’t visit – but I was able to get a pretty good understanding of Zagreb’s positive and less positive points.
If you’re going to Zagreb, the chances of you finding some junk on the streets are incredibly slim. The city centre is ridiculously clean. Admittedly, this wasn’t something I was expecting from a big city in eastern Europe, but hey, no complaints here!
When I say the city is clean, I’m mostly talking about the streets and public places, though. Some of the buildings look a little rough around the edges, and at times even straight up unappealing. But I guess that’s the case in most, if not all, major cities around the world.
If you’re doing a road trip through eastern Europe, Zagreb is the perfect place to begin. For starters, Croatia is located fairly centrally within Europe. Most other European countries and major cities are easily accessible by plane, train or bus.
Besides, it’s easy(ish) to find a fairly cheap apartment or hostel in the city centre of Zagreb. That means you’re in the centre of the centre of the centre. Could it get any more central than this? (Spoiler alert: no)
Compared to other major European cities like Paris and Rome, Zagreb is a cheap place to travel to. You might pay a little more for your airplane ticket, but I guarantee you’ll make up for that lost money with the money you spend on food, drinks and shopping.
Quick tip: if you’re coming from a country other than Croatia, you’ll have to convert your cash. The official currency is the Croatian kuna (1 HRK = 0.13 EUR = 0.15 USD).
I’ve heard that the people in Zagreb have been called the Dubliners of the East. Both people possess the immeasurable quality of being friendly and open-minded toward strangers.
To continue the analogy with Paris and Rome, inhabitants of the big European cities will definitely give you weird looks when you take a picture of yourself, when you look on a map to see where you’re going or when you put on sunscreen. In Zagreb, people are accepting and accommodating of tourists and they don’t make a big fuss out of them.
Another thing that surprised me about the people in Zagreb is their knowledge of the English language. Obviously, most people in big cities have a basic understanding of English and know how to express themselves, but the Croatian people even have a great accent and can speak with ease and with a broad range of vocabulary. I must say, as an English major, I was impressed.
Now, on to the drawbacks of Zagreb. First – and foremost – the food. Croatian cuisine isn’t really something you should incorporate into a culinary road trip. I mean, there are obviously worse things to survive on than schnitzel and French fries, but it’s not something I would travel across Europe for.
Opposite to what Perk 1 would have you believe, there are very few sincerely beautiful locations in Zagreb. Undoubtedly, someone living in Zagreb would tell you something else, but that’s just because they’re too proud to admit that they really don’t have that many things to see.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying that there’s no Croatian heritage and culture to be found in Zagreb. I’m only pointing out that the actual buildings and sites left much to be desired.
People from India, New York City or Italy might feel tempted to object, but I felt like the traffic in Zagreb was pretty crazy. There were traffic lights, but nobody cared whether they were on green or on red. People crossed the street whenever and wherever they saw fit, speed limits appeared to be relative and you can pass cars on the highway left or right.
To an experienced driver who is used to being in these traffic situations, it might not seem like much. But to me, a whimsy kid who doesn’t even have his license yet, it was a true sight to behold.
Zagreb is a decent city. I feel like it’s a good thing that I’ve seen it once, but I don’t feel the need to return to the Croatian capital any time soon – if ever.
You have to make the decision for yourself, and weigh out the benefits and the disadvantages of visiting Zagreb. If you want to visit a place where you can take loads of beautiful pictures to show off to your friends, I’m afraid Zagreb is not for you. If you want to explore Croatian culture and maybe take a day trip to Plitvice, go for it!
As always, thank you guys very much for reading!
-S
If you’re ever planning to take a trip to anywhere in Croatia, you have to add Plitvice to your itinerary. Still having doubts? Let me convince you of the beauty of Plitvice in this post.
Disclaimer: I took every picture in this post myself. I did that with my phone, which is the reason why the quality may not be ideal and why most of the pictures are in portrait mode. My apologies for that.
For those of you who are reading this post and are still not sure what Plitvice actually is, I’m going to try to explain. Plitvice, also known as Plitvička Jezera (Nacionalni Park) or Plitvice Lakes National Park, is a nature reserve located in Croatia.
The park is mainly known for its beautiful hiking routes and stunning lakes and waterfalls.
Now that everyone knows what I’m talking about, we can move on to the reasons why you should consider giving the park a visit. Buckle up!
If you’re coming to this nature reserve, you’re most likely going to be combining it with a visit to one (or several) key city in Croatia, such as Zagreb and Split. There are some convenient ways to get to Plitvice from these cities.
First off, the easiest option is to hire a rental car and drive yourself. That’s what we did. Coming from Zagreb, it took us about two hours to get there. According to Google Maps, a trip from Split would take you around two hours and 45 minutes.
The main advantage of hiring a car is that you have more freedom on the road. If you want to stop in a small town to grab a bite on your way back, you can do that. For example, we stopped in Rastoke, a very small town (only 62 inhabitants!) between Zagreb and Plitvice.
Secondly, it’s possible to get to Plitvice by bus. Using Flixbus, a one-way ticket from Zagreb would cost you €13 and about two hours of your time. If you’re starting in Split, you’d have to pay €22 and you’ll lose around four hours.
I recommend taking the bus if you don’t feel like driving, if you don’t have your driver’s license yet, or if you just want to chill for a couple of hours before spending a day hiking along waterfalls and lakes.
Staying in line with the generally cheap Croatian prices, the entry fee to Plitvice Lakes is definitely worth it. You can check out the price you’ll need to pay on this website. Keep in mind, the prices are listed in Croatian kuna (HRK). You can convert your currency to HRK here in order to get a better understanding of the prices.
Without a doubt, the most important reason that so many people want to visit Plitvice (even though you might never even have heard of it before now) is its fascinating nature. If you’re a fan of travel inspiration, you should honestly consider creating a trip based around Plitvice.
Does this picture really even need any explaining?
If I’m honest with you, I’ve never seen anything quite like the lakes, waterfalls, forests and hiking routes at Plitvice. It’s something that can’t really be explained. You’ll just have to find out for yourself.
Some people might go crazy when this happens, but others enjoy it thoroughly. When we were in Plitvice, the other tourists weren’t so bad. That’s because we went at the end of June. There were some groups of Chinese people and other tourist families, but we were still able to go wherever we wanted without too much interruption.
If you’re going during the summer, you could be confronted with lots more tourists and other people. It could be something you might enjoy. If not, I recommend going between October and June, as that’s when most people don’t even consider traveling.
This reason mostly applies to people who go to Plitvice by rental car, although you could also have a lot of fun on the road in a bus.
There are a lot of things you can do to make your trip more fun. For example, you could play road trip games, you could listen to some music, you could talk about the meaning of life, … The possibilities are endless.
For this specific Croatian road trip, there are some other things you could do. As it turns out, a lot of the Croatian houses, buildings and landscapes on the way to Plitvice are quite fascinating to watch. Many buildings still show signs of the Croatian War of Independence. For example, we saw one house that was completely pierced with bullet holes, but it was still standing.
For anyone who likes walking through nature just for the sake of admiring nature, Plitvice is the way to go. (Also, for all of you people who are always trying to find cool Instagram picture spots, look no further!)
When you’re visiting Plitvice, you’ll be walking on cute pathways like this one
After a day of hiking in Plitvice – you can do tours ranging from one hour to 8 hours – there’s no doubt that you’ll be tired, but you’ll also be more than satisfied. I, for one, have never hiked in a more beautiful place.
Fun extra: you’ll be doing tons of cardio, so there’s no need to go to the gym!
When you’re visiting Croatia, this might not apply to you. But when we were there, it was SO HOT. The mist coming off the waterfalls was a welcome source of cooling down after walking in the nature park.
Then again, if you’re traveling between October and June, like I recommended earlier, chances are that you’ll already be cold enough when you’re there.
If you’re coming by rental car, you should consider leaving your car at entrance 2. This entrance is located right at the centre of the park, which means you could go to either side relatively easily. We parked our car at entrance 1, which was also okay.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I hope I might have convinced you to consider Plitvice for your next holiday. Feel free to let me know what you thought about this post.
Thanks for reading!
-S
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